What is Branding?

When you think of Mercedes Benz what comes to mind first? Is it a specific car? The logo? Or the types of people you visual driving around those sleek Benz vehicles? All of your answers depict the Mercedes brand. Branding is not one image or one logo – it’s the message as a WHOLE.

The easiest way to explain branding is by mentioning names like Apple, Nike, Coca-Cola, New Era, etc. Each of these companies has a very distinct brand. You know what to expect from their products to their customer service. Not only do they have distinct brand styles, they also have distinct brand strategies. The How, What, Where, When, and Whom they are delivering their products and services to.

The definition of brands are the images and ideas consumers relate to a specific product or service. Many aspects may trigger brand recognition such as: logo, design, font, slogan, jingle, or spokesperson.

The ultimate goal is that your target market should be able to recognize your brand more and more throughout its existence.

When starting a new branding or re-branding project, you have to think about more than just a logo. You’ve got to define your brand. You can start by asking yourself a few questions.

1. Who is your ideal customer?

First, things first, you need to figure out who your ideal customers are. Knowing who those people are will help you develop the visuals, colors, fonts and voice that they can identify with. Nike knows who their customers are and their entire brand strategy is pointed directly at them.

2. What are the core values of your business?

This is where you get to dive deep into the recesses of your brain to figure out what you want for your business. We’re talking about discovering the real and raw feelings that connect you (and your brand) to the world! While honesty, timeliness, and trust are HUGE values, they aren’t going to help you stand out from a crowd and REALLY connect you with your ideal customers.

3. What is your mission statement?

It’s a one sentence statement that sums up what you do, who you help, and how you are going to help them.

“My Business does _____________ to help ______________ do _______________.”

This is just a tip of the branding iceberg. Leelou Designs works with clients to be sure that your business style and values are emulated with your brand.

We can help you understand what you need for your business and your brand. We’ll help you develop a brand strategy and style guide to help you stay on brand for your business. The goal is to make your brand consistent so that it can be easily recognizable by your clients and customers. Once brand colors, fonts, and personas are set it’s vital not to deviate from them to avoid brand confusion.